They may not have a single Grand Slam in their kitty, but on their day, they can upset the top seeds. With truckloads of talent and bucketloads of time, these up and coming tennis players will look to start 2017 with a bang by finding their best form in Australian Open, which starts on January 16.

Borna Coric

At 20, Borna Coric has plenty of time to make mistakes and learn from them. He has already displayed the skill of a seasoned pro, prompting Novak Djokovic to compare himself to him. “It’s like playing myself, very similar game – great fighting spirit, disciplined, focused, committed, confident,” Djokovic was quoted as saying by The National.

Milos Raonic

Raonic  ended 2017 with a bang, reaching the semi-finals of ATP World Tour Finals, where he lost out to Andy Murray after holding a match point in a cliffhanger. The No. 3 ranked Canadian can be considered as a dark horse in the upcoming Australian Open, and can find himself with a great chance if both Murray and Djokovic drop their game in decisive moments.

Alexander Zverev

The 19-year-old has just won a tight encounter against Roger Federer in the first round of Hopman Cup, and will be riding high on confidence going into the Australian Open. Like Coric, if Zverev doesn’t make it count this year, he’ll still be the one to watch out for in 2018 because of his age.  

Dominic Thiem

Dominic Thiem’s attacking game makes him one of the most attractive players on the tour, and he’ll look to better his performance from next year where he reached the third round.

Lucas Pouille

Nobody will want to play the 15th ranked player in the earlier rounds. The Frenchman shocked everyone by reaching the semi-finals of the Australian Open last year and will certainly have good memories on his side before he starts his campaign in the first grand slam of 2017.